WHO SHOULD DECIDE WHAT WE EAT? - irp …€¦ · who should decide what we eat and what’s nutritious. They were talking about the national campaign to eliminate junk food from school
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Who should decide what we eat?Can fourth graders argue effectively?
PAIGE REIDER:
Good day, student viewers! This is Paige Reider reporting! Today, we’re covering a story about a study that says that students in the fourth and fifth grade don’t understand how to discuss important ideas effectively. Instead, they tend to fight with each other about who is right and who is wrong! There also seems to be a problem with respect in these discussions. I’ve interviewed the author of that study, Prof. Kuhn, who told me that her study showed that younger kids have a hard time understanding how important it is to listen to the opinions of others. Instead, they’re more interested in being right!
We have a reporter in the field investigating this issue. Justin, I understand that you also spoke to an actual fourth grader about this issue?
JUSTIN THYME:
That’s right, Paige! Earlier, I spoke with Sabrina, a fourth grader at Lincoln Elementary School, who gave her opinion about fourth graders and their ability to argue effectively. She said that some do and some don’t. She is happy that her teacher, Ms. Rodriguez, taught the class how to listen to each other and build on what the other person said.
PAIGE: Those sound like important skills, Justin, but do they really help?
JUSTIN: Well, actually, Sabrina described an argument they had yesterday in class about school lunches and who should decide what we eat and what’s nutritious. They were talking about the national campaign to eliminate junk food from school lunches. It got ugly for a while. Some kids weren’t very respectful and were rude to each other. But Ms. Rodriguez kept reminding them to listen and to build on what others said.
PAIGE: I guess the question is: Does Sabrina represent the majority of fourth graders, or is she the exception? She sounds pretty smart to me! Thank you, Justin. I hope we hear more from the students at Lincoln Elementary. We’re also going to stay close to the topic of the campaign to eliminate junk food from school lunches. Keep us informed, Justin!
This is Paige Reider, signing off!
Discussion question: Do you agree with Professor Kuhn’s observations about fourth graders’ inability to argue effectively? What evidence from your experience as a fourth grader supports your opinion?
Who should decide what we eat?Changes to School Lunches
Ms. Rodriguez read an article to her class about Michelle Obama’s Nutrition Campaign. The article says that students need to eat more vegetables and salads and fewer high-calorie foods. The campaign wants school cafeterias to eliminate ’tato tots and sodas from the menu.
Line
1 Ms. Rodriguez:
I think Michelle Obama’s campaign message is really good. She’s a mother like me and wants to protect the health of her children. I can’t stop my kids from eating ’tato tots at school, but I feed them healthy food for breakfast and dinner. I think it matters what you do at home. What do you think, Erin?
2 Erin: I don’t think eliminating ’tato tots and sodas from school lunches will help. Kids who like those foods will just eat them after school. If people are so worried about our health, they should make sure we exercise every day. We need fresh air and time to play!
3 Kayla: Exercise every day is a good idea too, but nutrition is really important. The campaign to stop schools from selling stuff that’s bad for us could help lots of kids who don’t eat healthy foods after school or at home. School breakfast and lunch could be the most important meals kids eat all day!
4 Erin: Kids will just stop getting the school lunch if it’s full of vegetables. Then they won’t eat anything at lunchtime! It’s not an effective way to get kids to eat healthy food! Kids love ’tato tots!
5 Kayla: Everyone knows ’tato tots have a lot of fat and salt. They aren’t nutritious. They are okay once in a while as a treat, but schools shouldn’t be serving us food that makes us put on weight or is unhealthy for us.
6 Erin: Who are these people anyway? Why are they messing with our lunches? I love ’tato tots. They are the only good thing the cafeteria serves.
7 Kayla: These people are doctors and nutritionists and parents who want to make sure American kids stay healthy.
8 Erin: Doctors and nutritionists can keep their opinions to themselves. I really love ’tato tots.
9 Kayla: You should show people who are experts more respect. Besides, we can see how much you love ’tato tots.
10 Erin: Wait a minute: Are you saying I’m gaining weight?
11 Kayla: Well, you don’t really fit into those jeans anymore! I think you’ve eaten too many ’tato tots.
12 Erin: Wow, that was really mean. You talk about respect but you don’t practice it.
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Discussion questions: If Erin and Kayla were to come to our school, what would they need to learn to be responsible members of our class? Do you think ’tato tots should be taken off the menu? Why or why not?
Who should decide what we eat?Ms. Rodriguez, Erin, and Kayla
Directions: With a partner, talk about each statement and decide which one describes each character’s perspective. Find and highlight evidence from the Reader’s Theater text to support your answer. Then, in your own words, write Ms. Rodriguez’s perspective.
So what happened with Erin and Kayla
Erin and Kayla started out discussing an important issue – the national Nutrition Campaign. They were having a good argument about the campaign, each expressing her own perspective and listening to her friend. A good argument is an argument in which people focus on their disagreements and try to learn from each other. They might end up agreeing or not, but at least they end up understanding each other’s perspective.
At some point, Erin and Kayla’s discussion turned into a bad argument – one that might threaten their friendship! A bad argument is one in which people stop trying to explain their thinking and even say things that might hurt each other.
What does Kayla think?
Kayla thinks that ’tato tots are good for you.
Kayla thinks that ’tato tots are junk food.
Kayla would like to get soda and ’tato tots off the school menu.
What do supporters of the campaign think?
They are worried about unhealthy school lunches.
They want to eliminate ’tato tots but not soda.
They are only worried about exercise, not school lunches.
What does Erin think?
Erin agrees with the campaign’s message about eliminating unhealthy foods in school.
Erin thinks that nutrition is more important than exercise.
Erin thinks that kids won’t eat anything if they get only vegetables.
Homework Who should decide what we eat?Food Journal
What do you eat? What are your eating habits? Write down what you eat and drink tomorrow. Include all food and drinks at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack.
Sarah, Kayla and Erin’s classmate, shared her food journal and decided that she wants to eat less macaroni and cheese. She said, “I know that good nutrition is important, but I also think people should just eat less. I don’t want to completely eliminate macaroni and cheese. It’s my favorite food. Maybe I just shouldn’t eat the whole box.”
Directions: Do the math below to help Sarah analyze what is in her macaroni and cheese.
1. How many servings are in the box of macaroni and cheese?
2. How many calories are in the box of macaroni and cheese?
3. If Sarah eats half a serving, how many calories will she consume?
4. Which of the following do you think is correct?
Fewer than half of the calories come from fat.
More than half of the calories come from fat.
Turn and Talk: Based on what you have learned about the calories and fat in macaroni and cheese, do you think Sarah should eliminate this food from her diet or just eat less? Why?
Word Study in Math!
Many of the words that are used in science, math, and social studies are cognates! What are cognates? They are words in two different languages that come from the same root. The English word mathematics is matemática in Spanish. Can you see the similarities in spelling?
Here are some translated words related to this word problem; they are in Spanish. Can you guess what they are in English? (If you’re lucky enough to speak Spanish, Kriolu, or Portuguese, you may be able to figure these out quickly!)
Some potato chip companies say that their chips are less greasy and more healthy than other chips. Let’s try testing this to see if it is true. Each group will test a different kind of potato chip.
Testing Procedure:
1. Write the brand of your potato chips on the top of your graph paper.
2. Take your potato chips out of the bag and place them on the labeled graph paper. Each bag was measured for you so each group has the same amount.
3. Put a piece of wax paper over the chips and crush them onto the paper.
4. When you are done, throw away the wax paper and the chips. DO NOT THROW OUT THE GRAPH PAPER!
5. Measure your grease mark by counting or estimating the number of squares it covers.
According to class data, which type of chip has the most and the least amount of grease?
Baked Potato Chips:
Classic Potato Chips:
Cheesy Potato Chips:
Who should decide what we eat?
Turn and Talk: Are some chips less nutritious than others? What is your reasoning?What would you say to companies that say that their chips don’t have grease?
Before Testing:Which type of chips do you predict will have the most and the least amount of grease?What is your reasoning?
Who should decide what we eat?Stop the War on Fries!By Susana Flores and Arun Khanna, Word Generation Reporters
Did you know that the potato is a vegetable? We didn’t! We were reading some articles about the government’s campaign to make school lunches healthier and read a statement made by a congresswoman from Ohio. She said: “I don't know why we are picking on the potato. It's a great vegetable.” Arun and I looked at each other. A vegetable? That changes everything! So, we read on. We read that Congresswoman Schmidt and other members of Congress think that the “war on fries” should end. They point out that french fries can be nutritious because they have fiber and potassium. They’re also cheap.
Some people who work in schools say they don’t mind getting advice about good nutrition. But they think it’s
wrong to eliminate or limit certain foods. The food director in Burlington, Vermont, says that potatoes grow well in his part of Vermont and that children in his school district are growing their own. The children are eating the potatoes they grow!
But nutrition experts say it’s not the potato that’s the problem. It seems that we’re eating potatoes way too often! Furthermore, baked potatoes are much more nutritious than french fries or ’tato tots. Experts say that eating potatoes twice a week is all we need (that includes what you eat at home)! They say that we need to focus more on making kids healthy.
In this unit you have heard about campaigns, expert opinions, and personal perspectives on whether foods like ’tato tots should be offered in school lunches. Find as much evidence as you can to support each claim.
Eliminate
’tato tots
from sch!l
lunches
It is the responsibility of
sch!ls to decide what
children eat.
Keep serving ’tato tots every day. Kids can make better choices about the foods they eat.
Who should decide what we eat?Practice Persuasive Writing
Component TextWhat is the
purpose?
Topic Sentence:
I think _____________________________________
___________________________________________
Introduces your opinion
Reasons:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Provides reasons that are supported by facts and details
Closing Sentence:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Restates your opinion
Plan a persuasive paragraph to answer the question: Who should decide what we eat in school?
Circle the perspective that you support:
Schools should decide.
Students should decide.
Parents should decide.
The graphic organizer will help you plan your persuasive paragraph. Use the focus words and support your position with evidence from the Reader’s Theater, science and math passages, and articles in this unit.